Chocolate used to be considered an indulgence, and foods made of chocolate often go by names containing words such as "decadent," "sinful," and "Devil's." We now know that not only is chocolate "okay...occasionally," it is good for us...in moderation, of course. Chocolate has truly become the latest hero in the fight against obesity, heart disease, and general poor health.

When the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes returned from Mexico in the early 1500s, he brought with him the sacred drink of the Aztecs. Made from the roasted seeds of Theobroma cacao, the drink was flavored with a blend of exotic ingredients, and although Cortes had come to like this concoction, the Spanish eventually added sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon for a sweeter drink more pleasing to the European palate.

The secret recipe was eventually leaked to Europe, and first appeared in London in the mid-1600s. By 1765, the American colonists were enjoying cocoa made from West Indian beans. Cocoa powder was developed by a Dutch chocolate maker, and his patented process for pressing cocoa butter from the roasted beans made possible the production of both instant cocoa and solid chocolate.

Theobroma means, appropriately,